Nature and the environment are the inspiration for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge™, the annaul promotion of children’s reading that runs throughout the UK’s libraries  during the school summer holidays. Last year 660,000 children took part in The Reading Mission, over half of them reading six or more books.

This year’s challenge, The Big Wild Read  will encourage children to make a positive difference to their environment. Children are being asked to “Take the challenge – change your world”. In an exciting new development, The Big Wild Read is linking to BBC’s Breathing Places environment initiative, which is encouraging people to engage with nature.

www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces

 THE BIG WILD READ ON-LINE: www.bigwildread.org.uk

A specially created website just for children with a message board will capture children’s responses to the books they are reading, and the challenges offered by Breathing Places. There will be games and activities plus special tips on how to get involved with nature and make a positive difference to your local environment, plus a special parent’s corner with tips and activities to support their children taking part. “Our research proves that children really enjoy taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge” says Lynne Taylor of the Reading Agency, the organisation that runs the SRC, “Many children care passionately about the environment too and we expect that The Big Wild Read will be the most popular and inspirational reading challenge yet.”